how to keep 1 year old entertained on a long journey without using technology!!

[cloudhands]

I just thought i would start this thread so anyone interested can share what worked for their kids. I think it's common knowledge that using technology in the under threes is just incredibly bad for their brain development, and my own anxious mummy brain wouldn't allow me to give my 1 year old an ipad even if it's just temporary.

i'd love to have a range of suggestions to choose from when we are travelling at xmas.

for me in car journeys singing worked in the past, when my DD was a bit younger, and a nice baby massage, to relax her when she was in her car seat.

also games that make her laugh, like throwing things on the floor and me getting annoyed.

She loves books so I'm sure a few of them will keep her amused for a little while.

anyone else have some good suggestions?

[tinypop4]

2 hours or less- kids sing a long music. More than that and we travel in the evening so they sleep for the majority

[ragged]

Seriously gals... (I am too much of a wimp to post a scarier pic)

[2014newme]

ZOMBIE ZOMBIES

[2014newme]

How long is the journey? Agree travelling when asleep is best.

[ragged]

Z O M B I E

[RiverTam]

At that age, traveling at night is the best option.

But DD is now 7 and we have done a good number of long car journeys with no tech other than an old iPod with audiobooks on it (our old banger doesn't have a CD player, otherwise she wouldn't even have that).

We fill a bag that sits next to her with a variety of the following (some obviously age dependant):
Small world toys
Paper and pens
Stickers
Picture books
Activity books
She got given this brilliant magnet scene book thing, with loads of magnets to make your own scenes
Magazine

Though I've just seen this is a TAAT. Poor form, OP.

[BellyBean]

DD loved a couple of pots, one open, one with a hole and Pom poms to transfer at that age.

[ChiefOwl]

Put the dc in their pj's and set off just before bedtime - its the only way! this is still my preference and my youngest is 5!

[attheendoftheday]

The only way I can stand the 6 hour drive down to my mum's is to set off at 6pm with dd in her pyjamas. It is the only way!

[MrsMerryMeeple]

Have nothing against giving DS the ipad for a few minutes, but don't have any way to attach it in the car, so have so far not given him high tech in the car.

We have a bag or basket full of toys that are safe for him to play with unsupervised, preferably new or have been hidden for a while. He keeps himself entertained for a bit, then if he starts fretting I drop a toy over to him. When he drops that and gets bored, the next one goes over.

Board books that are not so precious it matters if they get chewed on, rattles, plastic containers, duplo or little people figures, things with lids that can be put on or taken off, busy books, fabric toys with fasteners, links, anything from the toybox that fits the above description.

Each time we stop I collect all the toys from the floor/seat and restock the basket.

Snack pots also help. Rice cakes, baby biscuits, corn puffs etc.

[GirlWithTheMouseyHair]

Faith in MN restored

Hugz'n'kisses BFFs 4eva
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[SneakyBiscuitEater]

Thread about a thread?

[mammmamia]

Do not agree at all with OP re technology as others have said, but try the travel Aquadoodle - good for car journeys.

[hokeycakey]

Girlwiththemouseyhair you must not have an "anxious mummy brain" and to be honest I think you're better off without it

Don't sweat it and yes it was a bitchy op

[GirlWithTheMouseyHair]

Wow, passive aggressive response to my recent thread about iPad apps to use for a most likely 5mins out of an 11 hour plane journey?

Obviously I disagree that occasional use of "technology" rots their brains - my 1yr old occasionally sees tv on when her 4yo brother is watching but just wanders off.

We always do lengthy car journeys at bedtime too so they just sleep but I'm afraid a mother singing to her pfb for 11 hours on a transatlantic flight would drive me mental...

We do all the usual, wrap new toys/pieces of tat/snacks/games etc - the 4yo could quite happily do the whole flight with no technology but it's an overnight do if watching a film or two keeps him quiet for everyone else's comfort, tis no bad thing in my opinion.

So there

[Misty9]

Agree with pp, ds is now 15 months and we've done loads of 4-5hr car trips with him in the car seat, in the back....entertaining himself?! I guess he looks out the window, sleeps, plays with his feet etc. the kind of things baby's do :) we just stop every 2hrs or so and have to do this to swap drivers anyway (and refuel dh with caffeine).

Haven't tried stupid o'clock driving yet as last time we did the long trip we were both too knackered to drive Friday night so ended up leaving Saturday morning in the end! Won't do that again as far too much to come back the next day. As for technology...everything in moderation I say (especially at 4pm on a Friday when I'm tearing my hair out).

[hokeycakey]

Agreed travel at night/ nap time it's the only way to do it

And seriously people are you really going to entertain a 1 year old in the car for a whole journey???? Give them books, magic slate toys etc but my advice would be let them be, they can look out the window/sing to themselves, kids really don't need constant entertainment from their parents.

And no I didn't know that technology is terribly bad for brain development must have missed that

If it gets really bad just pull over at next services and let them out for a bit

[FireOverBethlehem]

Take two adults in the car - one in the front and the other in the back with DS if they aren't going to sleep. I entertained DC for 2 1/2 hours up the M5 with a plastic bowl and spoon because we'd hoped he'd sleep, piled his toys into the boot before setting off, and then he didn't.

I think it's a bit young for them to entertain themselves - my DS wouldn't have followed a film at that age.

[Zimbah]

We got a portable DVD player for a long journey when DD1 was around 3 and it was bliss! Before that we did the travelling at night/early morning, different toys, CDs, endless endless endless singing/car spotting/I Spy etc etc until I was ready to tear my own ears off.

I don't think a DVD would keep a 1 year old entertained for long though, it's a difficult age for car journeys. Little toys (raid the charity shops) in a bag, small toys wrapped up so she can tear off the paper, lots of low-choke-risk snacks.

[eagleray]

No useful advice here as DD not due til Jan, but the thread made me smile as brought back memories of my own childhood as every year my family would embark on a 1,000 mile round trip to visit grandparents in a Morris Marina. The only entertainment I can recall was playing I-spy, and toilet stops were deemed unnecessary - instead a potty was provided to use (lots of spillages and falling off potty when we went round a corner). And we were constantly sick...

Most memorable of these trips was one where just as we arrived at grandparents' house and my sister (in her excitement at the prospect of being able to get out of the car) chinned herself on the back of the driver's seat and nearly severed her tongue. She still has the scar now from where they stitched it back together

I plan to tell DD all about our adventures in the '70s if she ever asks for an ipad to play with in the car

[DewDr0p]

Bedtime.

And in the nicest possible way, get over yourself re the in car DVD player.

[notnagging]

I would agree with travelling at bedtime

[luckysocks]

Sorry, that wasn't very helpful, it just made me a bit !

For us, stickers, colouring, a small new toy, and like others have said, timing it around sleep as much as possible. And the iPhone. And chocolate buttons. bad mummy

[luckysocks]

DS is fucked then. He LOVES technology and his problem solving capacity, fine motor control, number identification (I keep changing the password on my iPhone and he is undeterred) and his general ability to discover advanced functions and work out how to use them correctly blows my mind.

I also use it as a building block - for some reason he hadn't the slightest interest in letter recognition, for example, until I found an app for him. Now it's suddenly clicked and within a week he was drawing letters when colouring and could spell his name and wants to learn to spell other words too... it's the same principle as using a schema, I guess.

Obviously he's not allowed to spend all day glued to some device (which he happily would if I'd let him) but bad for brain development? I'm not sure I'd agree.

Watching with interest for good tips though, we've got another plane journey coming up soon!